Halas the Hero - by Jon Frank/Oceana

I’d never heard of him prior to last year, but I can honestly say that marine biologist John Halas is an Ocean Hero. During a public voting period last year, he beat out seven other distinguished and dedicated conservationists yearning to be the winner of Oceana’s inaugural Ocean Heroes Contest.

John is the Upper Region Manager for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. He earned this honor not for his job within the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and not because he’s a lifelong diver and ocean lover – he won because he found an innovative way to protect coral reefs.

As an avid diver, John has seen countless reefs damaged by boats dropping anchor on top of living coral. One day nearly 30 years ago, John accompanied a researcher who was excavating core samples from coral reefs. John witnessed that once the samples were removed, the remaining cavity was filled with cement.  And, like Archimedes, he had his ‘Eureka’ moment!  His idea was simple, yet genius – insert a steel rod or anchor into the seabed and float a buoy off it for boats to tie up to; no more anchors required.

This technology, the Halas Mooring System, is designed specifically to protect the environment while also providing durable and safe mooring.  John’s wife Judy runs the business-side of the buoys, known as Environmental Moorings International, Inc., which have aided nearly 40 countries in adopting the technology in their national waters.

For me, John’s story is so impactful because it combines his creativity with his passion for the water.  The world is filled with amazing people finding new and creative ways to protect the oceans, and now, Oceana is once again trying to recognize and honor these individuals.

From now until April 16th, Oceana is accepting nominations for the 2010 Ocean Heroes Contest.  This year, the public will vote on finalists in both an Adult and Junior category and the winners will be announced in May.

With any luck, maybe someone reading this post will introduce me (and the world) to the next John Halas – click here to nominate the next Ocean Hero.